Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Julie Ali · University of Alberta Raising more money doesn't mean that the NDP will get more votes. It simply means folks will give to the folks in power until they are no longer in power. I doubt the NDP will be rehired. It's pretty clear to me that they aren't productive and while the PCs were also not productive this doesn't mean we should continue our bad practice of keeping unproductive parties in power for decades. Instead it's good to simply change the political party at every election. The NDP folks had a chance to make a difference in Alberta; this chance will never come again. It's too bad they lacked the political will for making change happen in terms of social issues such as the over 800 dead kids in the child welfare system or the underfunding and problems in the continuing care system. The next party we hire may not also address these issues but at least they may have the political will to do something different rather than imitate the failed PCs. There are no deliverables with the NDPCs.

When the political party is in power folks tend to donate to it as if this will bring them good luck. It might have in the case of the PCs who had their own private slush fund in the form of the Tapcal Fund. But in the case of the NDP folks the extra money won't buy them our love.All the media attention and all the money spent on spin won't bring us back to them because they haven't been interested in us but have kept us at arms length for their own dumb reasons. Why would we want to vote for a party that asks us for postal codes so as to determine if we can see the MLA? What the heck?We never had this sort of dumb relationship unbuilding even from the arrogant and entitled PCs.The PCs understood that people matter because we're the bosses.Even if the PCs were oil monarchs --they sometimes actually did meet and yap with us.Sometimes they even helped us.Unlike the NDP folks who are the new oil monarchs.

Money won't buy our votes.We're steamed up about failures to deal with the major issues in the child welfare and continuing care systems.We're getting ready to boot out this bunch.

The Opposition Wildrose party raised $281,606, though when constituency associations are added in, Wildrose’s total rises to $345,125.

The Progressive Conservatives brought in $216,884 — increasing to $226,572 with the inclusion of constituency associations.

This year will be the first full year under new party financial rules brought in by the NDP government that limit the total amount an individual can donate provincially — encompassing parties, constituency associations, candidates and leadership contestants — to $4,000.

NDP provincial secretary Roari Richardson said parties are still getting a feel for the new restrictions and will have to ensure that donors don’t exceed the cap while still maximizing contributions.

“It’s changed the way we’ve approached our members and our contributors for sure,” he said in an interview Wednesday.

“The previous maximum donation amount ($15,000 for parties), I don’t know how many people managed to hit that in the province, but very few. This new dollar amount is tangible to people and so I think that there will be a certain percentage of the population that I think all parties will be able to motivate to get that tangible amount.”

Wildrose executive director Jeremy Nixon said the new donation cap is positive but he believes the system is built to the NDP’s advantage, as it doesn’t raise money through its constituency associations.

He said having one limit apply across the board adds an additional level of complexity for both donors and parties, as well as making it, in a sense, that the party is competing with its local associations for donors.

Nixon said he was pleased with Wildrose’s financial showing given the ongoing economic downturn in the province, a federal Conservative leadership race and a “period of political turmoil” in Alberta.

Discussions are currently underway between Wildrose and PC representatives about potentially uniting into a single party.

“People again, because they can only contribute so much to one thing, they may be waiting to see where best to put that money,” said Nixon.

For most of the first quarter, the PCs were embroiled in a leadership race that culminated with Jason Kenney’s victory on March 18.

Under the contest rules, the party took 15 per cent of the contributions to each leadership campaign, significantly boosting its coffers this year.

If the 15 per cent from a leadership donor exceeds the $250 disclosure threshold, that person’s name will show up on the Tories’ list of donors, said PC party interim executive director Janice Harrington.

Harrington said Kenney — famed as a Conservative MP for his prowess in raising money — has made no changes yet to the Tory fundraising apparatus as he focuses on the unity issue.

The Alberta Liberals and the party’s constituency associations raised $47,959 while the Alberta Party and its associations took in $14,070.

Raising more money doesn't mean that the NDP will get more votes. It simply means folks will give to the folks in power until they are no longer in power.I doubt the NDP will be rehired. It's pretty clear to me that they aren't productive and while the PCs were also not productive this doesn't mean we should continue our bad practice of keeping unproductive parties in power for decades.Instead it's good to simply change the political party at every election. The NDP folks had a chance to make a difference in Alberta; this chance will never come again. It's too bad they lacked the political will for making change happen in terms of social issues such as the over 800 dead kids in the child welfare system or the underfunding and problems in the continuing care system. The next party we hire may not also address these issues but at least they may have the political will to do something different rather than imitate the failed PCs. There are no deliverables with the NDPCs.

That makes it three consecutive quarters the NDP has out-raised opposition parties. Any notion that support for the party was accidental is just another pathetic myth perpetrated by anxious opposition parties and right-wing sycophants. The narrative that the NDP is not supported in Alberta is both stale and fallacious. I guess having Albertans backs is continuing to pay off -- big time!

Now, now, JE...I do not believe placing AB in the worst debt in it's entire history and causing debt interest payments to soar to billions of future dollars - those billions of dollars coming directly from the taxpayers pocket and not being utlized for any net benefit for anyone...is having 'Albertan's backs.'

Because if that is the ndp perception of protecting AB - this place is going to burn!

I mean...it was another 30 million dollars of debt added to the AB liability side of the ledger today; and everday of this ndp existence!

You must realize that JE - and yet you think that is good?

For all AB knows, the ndp are promoting the donations out of their own carbon tax slush fund :)

So, I am not sure what "big time pay off" you are imagining - because AB is on the path to debt bondage... directly due to the inexperience and incompetence of the ndp "accidental government."

J.E. Molnar I doubt that the money raised by the NDP will make any difference to the citizens of Alberta because when we are miffed we just vote out a party en masse. We will be voting out the NDP folks in the next provincial election and it doesn't matter beans to us if they win the donations lottery now.

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March for our Lives

How is one reborn after a fall? by Muriel Barbery

14. From Passageway to Pathway

What is this war we are waging, when defeat is so certain? Day after day, already wearied by the constant onslaught, we face our terror of the everyday, the endless passageway that, in the end--because we have spent so much time walking to and fro between its walls---will become a destiny. Yes, my angel, that is our everyday existence:dreary, empty, and mired deep in troubles. The pathways of hell are hardy foreign; we shall end up there one day if we tarry too long. From passageway to pathway; it is an easy fall, without shock or surprises. Every day we are reacquainted with the sadness of the passageway and step by step we clear the path towards our mournful doom.Did he see the pathways? How is one reborn after a fall? What new pupils restore sight to scorched eyes? Where does war begin, where does combat end?